Drone writes: While I was (unsuccessfully) trying to order my $25 discounted TI Chronos watch today, in the TI eStore I noticed they have two new (to me anyway) watches that are just about to be released. These are called Meta Watches – see here: There are two models I found on the TI eStore […]
Author Archives: Ian
USB IR Toy test firmware v20 with open source USB stack
The USB IR Toy is the first project to be ported to the open source USB stack. In the past we relied on Microchip’s non-distributable USB stack and it made development a pain. With the new stack we can give you all the files, and compiling should be easy as clicking a button. You can […]
Sandbox Electronics pays royalty for third-party Bus Pirate sales
Sandbox Electronics sells a Bus Pirate knock-off in their webshop and on eBay. It’s a complete package and super cheap. The Bus Pirate is open source, and it’s totally fine that they sell one. We think they do a valuable service by promoting the Bus Pirate on eBay and other outlets we don’t bother with. […]
Bus Pirate v3.5 free PCB build
Freddie built a free Bus Pirate v3.5 PCB. If you build a free PCB we’ll send you another one! Blog about it, post a picture on Flicker, whatever – we’ll send you a coupon code for the free PCB drawer. Get your own handy Bus Pirate for $30, including world-wide shipping. Also available from our […]
Partlist Wednesday: LEDs
Every Wednesday we highlight a component from the updated partlist. This week: LEDs. Surface mount LEDs feel a bit smaller than capacitors and resistors in the same package. Despite moving to 0603 C and Rs, we still use 0805 LEDs. It’s not just because we’re stuck with a reel of them, we find 0603 LEDs […]
MakerBot sends Colbert into space
MakerBot sends Colbert into space: After scanning Stephen Colbert‘s head in preparation for Bre’s appearance on the Colbert Report, we encouraged Thingiverse users to mashup the Colbert model with all sorts of other objects. (And got to work ourselves.) Not content to confine ourselves to mashups, we initiated the MakerBot Space Program with a mission […]
Building a classic Mac hardware clone
Build a Classic Mac clone, a plan for everything but the disk drives: The classic Mac hardware clone seems almost doable, except for the floppy drive. Without a working floppy drive (or equivalent), the Mac clone would do nothing but boot up to the screen showing a disk with a question mark (remember that one?), […]
Dockstar debricking – JTAG with Bus Pirate
RedoX documented his Dockstar debricking with the Bus Pirate: I recently bricked my Seagate Dockstar, so I had to use JTAG to restore it… At the time, I didn’t have any JTAG adapter. I tried with a parport Wiggler, but without the correct chip it didn’t work. So I bought a Bus Pirate. And so, […]
Free PCB coupon to RT #1 & #12 @dangerousproto
Every Tuesday we give away some extra PCBs via Twitter. This post was announced on twitter. The #1 and #12 person to retweet it get free PCBs. Thanks for the heads-up on auto-retweeters JT! This week we’re giving away two PCB codes. Pick your own PCB from the free PCB drawer. Don’t forget there’s free […]
KiCad open source PCB layout package reviewed
T Boyd wrote a review of the open source schematic and PCB layout program KiCad: That makes the third PCB CAD package I’ve spent hours getting to know a bit about. And I like it, at 8/11. Looks like the hours I spent trying to learn the other two were partly wasted.It is early days […]
Accurate milliohm measurement
Kerry writes: I have just completed a project for accurate milliohm range resistance measurements. The details are on my blog . I’d love to share this with your readers. To effectively measure small resistance values in the milliohm range, we need to accurately measure the current flowing through and at the same time accurately capture […]
Dangerous Prototypes hackerspace passport stamp
Dangerous Prototypes has a stamp for your hackerspace passport. To get a ‘visa’, find us at the Open Hardware Summit, Maker Faire, or your local hackerspace. We studied several actual passport stamps when making the design. It has a few official boxes to tick with a (different-colored) ink pen, ostensibly the continent of the meeting. […]
Samsung to launch banned tablet on Dutch market
Samsung to launch banned tablet on Dutch market: South Korean electronics giant Samsung will Tuesday launch its Galaxy Tab 10.1 on the Dutch market in the midst of a legal stand-off with rival US-based Apple and sales banned elsewhere in Europe. … The case before the Dutch court is the latest episode in the battle […]
Fast forward from alpha – Agile Open Hardware Manufacturing
Here’s the summary for our breakout session with Eric from Seeed Studio. Come see us at the Open Hardware Summit next month: Not everyone wants to etch PCBs and solder surface mount parts. Manufacturing bridges the gap between hardware hackers and communities of firmware, software, and documentation developers who want to get involved. The production […]
Mobile forum new look
An updated mobile theme is running on the forum. Please let us know about any issues. The mobile theme MOD doesn’t give the user an option to switch to the desktop theme, but we’re working on it.
WIP – Bus Pirate milled case
fcobcn milled a Bus Pirate case: I have been working over the week on this project. It’s has taken a lot of time, mainly because I had to solve a lot of problems: How to mill plastic; spindle speed, feed speed and cutting tool. How to import the PCB design into a 3D CAD package […]
DIY rover hacking with the Bus Pirate
hak8or is building a rover and posted pictures of DIY Bus Pirate: Here is my bus pirate I am using for getting the contents of the EEPROM. I took the schematic from the original bus pirate, got rid of some stuff, changed some stuff, and made it a bit smaller. I should have used a […]
XT-IDE adapter with CPLD builds
pietja built the XT-IDE controller with CPLD PCB, it will get further testing today. “The XT-IDE project is a Vintage Computer forum driven project to develop and manufacturer an 8-bit ISA IDE controller. It allows any PC/XT class machine to use modern IDE hard drives or Compact Flash devices for long term storage.” (From the […]
PCB store survey results
Yesterday we asked how much you’d pay for a PCB from the PCB drawer. We played with the numbers and our findings are below. First, answers to some common questions. Nothing will change with our weekly giveaways. We’d like to make boards available to people who want them, but don’t want to try to win […]
Free PCB Sunday with a survey question
We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. Our PCBs are made through Seeed Studio’s Fusion board service. Please note: this week we’re doing […]